Ce

Cerium

During World War II, the Italian chemist and writer Primo Levi was imprisoned in Auschwitz. He was assigned to work in a laboratory at the camp. One day Levi discovered an unlabeled jar containing small, grey metallic sticks. He somehow figured out that these were sticks of ferrocerium, a pyrophoric alloy of iron and cerium. Recognizing the value of this material for making contraband cigarette lighters, Levi seized an opportunity during an air raid to pocket all forty sticks of cerium. He was able to trade the ferrocerium / lighters for bread rations for himself and his accomplice. The Russian Army liberated Auschwitz shortly thereafter.